White House looking to support ‘censored’ anti-abortion activists in Britain
The White House has weighed in on what it claims is the ‘censorship’ of a British anti-abortion activist.
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Livia Tossici-Bolt, 64, was convicted of two charges of breaching the Public Spaces Protection Order at Poole Magistrates' Court on Friday.
The case relates to events that took place across two days in March 2023, with the anti-abortion campaigner holding a sign saying "Here to talk, if you want" outside a clinic in Bournemouth.
Her case first rose to prominence in January, with US Vice President JD Vance hitting out at the UK over a distinct lack of free speech.
Now, it's been revealed that Donald Trump’s administration is looking to involve itself in UK anti-abortion matters once again.
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Read more: Anti-abortion campaigner guilty of breaching buffer zone outside UK clinic
According to The Times, the administration is looking to champion anti-abortion protesters in the UK facing prosecution, with the move likely to deepen amid a growing transatlantic rift.
It's reported the US State Department has now contacted a pro-life Christian charity, requesting to speak with campaigners who have been persecuted or faced “censorship” over their pro-life or anti-abortion views.
Recent days have seen Ms Tossici-Bolt praising the Trump administration for its support, was handed a two-year conditional discharge and ordered to pay £20,026 in costs for breaching a ban on protests in a protected buffer zone around the BPAS facility in Bournemouth, Dorset.
Following the verdict, Livia Tossici-Bolt announced: "This is a dark day for Great Britain. I was not protesting and did not harass or obstruct anyone.
"All I did was offer consensual conversation in a public place, as is my basic right, and yet the court found me guilty.
"Freedom of expression is in a state of crisis in the UK. What has happened to this country? The US State Department was right to be concerned by this case as it has serious implications for the entire Western world.
"I remain committed to fighting for free speech, not only for my own sake, but for all my fellow citizens. If we allow this precedent of censorship to stand, nobody's right to freely express themselves is secure.
"With ADF International's support, I will now consider all legal options."
In February, during a speech at the Munich security conference, US vice president JD Vance referenced the case of Adam Smith-Connor, who was convicted last year of breaching the same council-enacted buffer zone, suggesting it showed "in Britain and across Europe, free speech, I fear, is in retreat".
It comes as Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, a prominent Christian member of the Government, said he disagreed with the US vice president and being able to access health services was "an important British value too".
Mr Reynolds said "no-one is arrested for what they are praying about" and that "the example he (Mr Vance) gave was about people being able to access healthcare, in this case abortions, free of intimidation or harassment".